The present invention relates to a housing arrangement for a fluid pump and fluid tank.
Apparatus that ejects fluid at high pressure for washing purposes, for example, may typically include a fluid pump and a fluid tank that are contained within a housing. A desirable feature of such an apparatus would be to provide a simple indication of fluid level within the tank. Another desirable feature would be that of easy installation of the tank within the housing. It would further be desirable when two fluid tanks are required, for two different fluids such as detergent and degreaser, to enable the housing and a second tank to be easily attached together.
Various of the foregoing features are realized in one form of the present inventive housing arrangement for a fluid pump and fluid tank. The arrangement comprises a housing for enclosing the pump and tank, and flow means within the housing for placing the pump and tank in flow communication with each other. To provide a simple indication of fluid level within the tank, the housing has a vertically oriented recess in the vicinity of the tank. The tank has a cooperating, vertically oriented rib extending into the housing recess. A user can view the rib section through the housing recess and thereby observe the fluid level within the tank. In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the rib section of the tank cooperates with the housing recess to orient the tank within the housing.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the installation of the tank within the housing is readily accomplished by merely pressing the tank upwardly through an entry port into the housing. During such procedure, a downwardly depending conduit mounted within the housing projects into the tank so as to automatically place the tank in flow communication with the pump. The tank may be held in place within the housing through an upwardly facing tab of a housing wall portion that cooperates with a downwardly facing tab engaging portion of the tank.
Where a second fluid tank is also used, the flow means additionally places the pump and the second tank in flow communication with each other. For this purpose, the flow means includes a fluid coupling member mounted to a bottom surface of the housing and oriented downwardly so as to receive a mating fluid coupling member mounted to a top portion of the tank. Thus, by placing the housing atop the second tank and engaging the fluid coupling members, attachment of the housing to the tank is facilitated.